A Wisconsin state senator is drawing criticism for his comments about the celebration of Kwanzaa.

Kwanzaa is an African tradition of giving thanks, good fortune and maintaining strong communities, started in America in 1966 by California college professor Ron Karenga.

But Wisconsin state Sen. Glenn Grothman is critical of Kwanzaa, and its founder, calling Karenga a violent radical and saying Kwanzaa is a tradition that black people don't care about.

"Unfortunately, there might be some young people who think it's a holiday to be respected. We've got to be remember that Kwanzaa was something that was thought up by a radical person who was a leader of a sect that wound up murdering a couple of Black Panthers and being very violent against women of his own sect," Grothman said.

Milwaukee community activist Oshiyemi Adelabu read Grothman's statement. He said Karenga's past and the practice of Kwanzaa are two different things.

"Whatever Dr. Karenga did, it is unfortunate that they are using it to denigrate the Kwanzaa holiday and the principles that it espouses," Adelabu said.